Mora blades

A

Alberta Ed

Joined
Jun 29, 1999
Messages
9,905
There hasn't been much said about these dandy lttle 'users' for some time on this forum. I had a real cutting job today -- slicing back about 200 feet of tough, gnarly, gravelly thatch along our sidewalk and driveway, so I pulled the little red wooden handled carbon steel Eriksson out of the shed and got to work. A couple of hours later, the original razor edge was about as sharp as a butter knife, the blade was scratched... and still totally usable. Ten minutes with a set of DMT hones brought it back to its original sharpness. There ought to be one of these little bargains in every picnic basket, toolbox, glove compartment, tackle box and survival kit. I'm surprised that we don't hear more about these great little users. Are there any manufacturers or bladesmiths who use this excellent steel (whatever it is; I don't know the type of steel used)? It would be great in nicer fittings. I've handled several of Frosts laminated blades in moose and deer antler for friends.

[This message has been edited by Alberta Ed (edited 04-28-2001).]
 
Been using them since my dad gave me one back in 1965.Great knife.

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have a"knife"day
 
They sharpen easily because they are thin and also because they are not the hardest hi-tech touch steel on the market. I've been using a Mora2000 "survival knife" (all of $26 at http://www.ragweedforge.com/ ) a lot for some months now. Don't seem to mind using it to do the things you cringe at applying a $100+ knife to!
 
I was just about to buy a pair for survival packs for my cars, primarily to scratch ferrocium rods for fires, but then decided to get the huge CS Twistmasters in Carbon V for not very much money at SMKW. Have Camillus KA-Bars for the big jobs.

I've been convinced for a long time that the Frosts knives have to be the best deal in knifedom, but just never get around to ordering any. I will someday!
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Asi es la vida

Bugs
 
Don't overlook the Opinels, either. Like the Frosts, "this dish is cheap, but delicious."
 
Mora knives are pretty cool. One with a 5" blade is my main camping knife. It was only, like, twelve bucks or something, so you don't have to worry about damaging it or getting it dirty.

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Cerulean

"The hairy-armed person who figured out how to put an edge on a suitable rock made it possible for us to be recognizably human in the first place." - J.K.M.
 
I think this is funny, here i am in Sweden and ordering knives from the states and you guys order knives that are made in Sweden...
I'm bored by the look of the Mora knives, they are very "boring" to mee (but GREAT users)

Each to his own at it finest
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Edited for spelling after Tuhkis pointed that out, and then misspelled knife (kinfe)...
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terve!
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Be well!/Jonas aka 2Sharp

"Who want fulfillment? -denial lasts forever"
Total Emerson knives freak!!! Usual Suspect wanna-be...

The coolest bar in the world: http://www.geocities.com/Pentagon/Camp/8373/index.html
My knives!

[This message has been edited by 2Sharp (edited 04-29-2001).]
 
<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by 2Sharp:
I'm borde by the look of the Mora knives, they are very "boring" to mee (but GREAT users)
</font>
Click to expand...
Nice to see I'm not the only one here mixing up with keys...
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But what it comes to Moras, I totally agree with 2Sharp.

I'm (obviously) not from Sweden, but here in neighbour-Finland Mora is very, very common knife too.

As I've written sometimes earlier, I think that most of the households have at least one Mora - many have a couple of or even more.

Very cheap kinfe found from kitchen, car trunk and carpenter's pocket. Etc etc.

And no matter how hard it is used - hey, it's "only" Mora.

And it does the job it's there for more than perfectly.

Tuhkis
 
I use them all the time around the house. It's kind funny really. I have jillions of knives around here but most of the time I have some grungy work job that needs a razor sharp blade, I reach for a Mora.

I know another forumite who has been testing his as a survival knife by using a baton on the spine. He's beat his to death, hammering on it to cut saplings down, apparently with no ill effects. I've always been leery of relying on stick tang knives as "survival" knives, preferring the industrial strength of a full tang. But most of the reports I've seen say these knives take a lickin' and keep on tickin'.

Another cheap but very useful knife is the Schrade Sharpfinger. Sold at KMarts everywhere, this is a real sleeper. I also like the stainless version, the Wolverine and the droppoint version, the 154UH. The 154UH especially, is an industrial strengh little knife that I really like. The only one of these knives that I know of in current production is the Sharpfinger, although yesterday I saw a half dozen Wolverines at a gun show and Smokey Mountain Knifworks was carrying the 154UH several months ago. Don't know if they still have 'em, though. At many retail stores, you can also get a carbon steel version of the 154UH but with a guthook. BTW, I bought a nice kydex sheath from Normark for my Sharpfinger/Wolverine. It's a great combo.

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Hoodoo

I get some pleasure from finding a relentlessly peaceful use for a combative looking knife.
JKM

[This message has been edited by Hoodoo (edited 04-29-2001).]
 
The mentions of Mora and Frost bring back very fond memories of James Mattis, and Chai.

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AKTI Member #A000934
"Always just one knife short of perfection!"
 
Hi Ed!

How could I ever resist putting off some work to write about Moras? Some of my favorite knives!
The first post I ever saw about Moras was based on their recommendation by Mors Kochanski in his "Bushcraft" book. The post was "If this guy's right - we're all wrong". It would certainly seem that picking a $10 knife out of a brown cardboard box of 50 wouldn't be the best way of getting a knife for survival purposes. I'll always remember the comment of one of my friends, too, while I was buying yet another Mora, "What sort of guy would go into the bush with a $10 knife?"
For survival or camping purposes I really do consider the Moras hard to beat. Bugs has mentioned the CS Twistmaster - and if you add the CS "Hudson Bay" and others - well there's a lot of stiff competition. For me the virtue of a Mora is a light fixed blade that I can hang around my kneck or on my belt that's comfortable for heavy whittling and really will cut down trees (Yep I'm that guy!).
I feel pretty bad about encouraging people to fall trees with a knife - it can get pretty dangerous if the tree "barber chairs". You have to know what you are doing. The same applies with general knife use though, anyone could destroy a Mora in short order (or hurt themselves) by lateral prying and other stuff that a knife wasn't designed for. All I can say is that with proper use, both my Moras and myself should last a lot of years.
A Mora out of the box (of 50) is a pretty ugly and dangerous proposition. Burn and oil the handle though - and you may be amazed. I use mine to trim my toenails and peel stuff all the time. Yes I wash the knife in between - all I'm saying here is that to use a razor sharp knife for such stuff demands an ergonomic knife.
Sharpen one properly and it'll amaze you too. No expensive tools required - just a large flat surface and some emery cloth and buffing compound. Keep the zero bevel.
I don't see a "fixed" Mora as ugly any more than I'd consider a moose ugly. See either in action and your point of view changes. Get to like them though for their wooden handles and carbon blades - and you'll soon be wondering what such a knife would look like if it were made from scratch to be beautiful. It just takes one curly birch handled puukko to use, handle and look at...
Brisa will then be your home page.
I don't really have a favorite Mora - I use them all for differing purposes. The leuko blade available from Ragnar though is one awesome outdoor blade. Explaining why would take another thread.

So I guess I really like Moras! People may want to look here:
http://www.geocities.com/Yosemite/Rapids/5404/survival/
 
I'm glade that a few others see the beauty of these little knives. I too have used a Mora 2000 for a few years on my household projects. I've cut everything short of metal and PVC pipe - it does a super job and sharpens right up. I really like the scandinavian blades - IMHO these are THE utility knives.
 
These blades are made by öberg steel and is used in a lot of Scandinavian knives. A Mora-knife costs les than $5 i Scandinavia.
<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Alberta Ed:
There hasn't been much said about these dandy lttle 'users' for some time on this forum. I had a real cutting job today -- slicing back about 200 feet of tough, gnarly, gravelly thatch along our sidewalk and driveway, so I pulled the little red wooden handled carbon steel Eriksson out of the shed and got to work. A couple of hours later, the original razor edge was about as sharp as a butter knife, the blade was scratched... and still totally usable. Ten minutes with a set of DMT hones brought it back to its original sharpness. There ought to be one of these little bargains in every picnic basket, toolbox, glove compartment, tackle box and survival kit. I'm surprised that we don't hear more about these great little users. Are there any manufacturers or bladesmiths who use this excellent steel (whatever it is; I don't know the type of steel used)? It would be great in nicer fittings. I've handled several of Frosts laminated blades in moose and deer antler for friends.

[This message has been edited by Alberta Ed (edited 04-28-2001).]</font>
Click to expand...



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Thorndal Knives
 
James Mattis described some procedures and products that could be used to "tighten up" and seal Mora blades in their handles. Unfortunately, I never copied this information down and, now that I need it, it is gone with his web site. Can anybody help me out?

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I first heard about Scandanavian knives on this forum a couple of years ago. I learned about those knives from James Mattis' and ragweed forge's sites. I now have several Mora's, Marttiinis, and Helle knives (the Helle Egen I bought from Mr. Mattis is my favorite). As users, especially for the money, I don't think the Scandinavian knives can be beat. And the upper end knives are works of art.

Those Scandi folks also make great vodka (Finlandia, Absolut, etc.). And the Finns make great weapons (Valmet)....knives, vodka, guns...
Gosh I love those people!!
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John,
Often there is a gap between the wood and the blade. Squirt in some epoxy at both ends of the handle to prevent moisture from penetrating, and that should do it. If you don't like the cheap red paint handles, sand the handle down and apply a coat or two of tung oil. That should do it.
 
Hi John:

Like Ed said - just use a little epoxy to seal the hole - at both ends of the handle. You could use superglue too as once suggested by James Mattis. The hole inside the handle is huge (I have some pics on my page) and if you punch back the ferrule a little alongside the blade with a nail, you can easily fill it with epoxy for more durability. I wouldn't bother as the knives are strong enough. I have one filled with bullet casting material which I set up to test for after I broke a standard version. Many trees later I'm still waiting to break the standard version.... At least I have the worlds heaviest Mora..
Sealing though is pretty important if you use the knife around food, or in water.
I do think that the few minutes to burn the handle and oil with tung or linseed oil is worthwhile. It looks really good after - and better still actually feels good. I often use a razor sharp Mora to peel potatoes - and even with the starch and water the handle is non slippery when treated. In contrast that red paint is slippery when wet.

The plastic and rubber handled Moras are neat too, but for really heavy duty cutting of hard wood I find the treated wooden handles far more comfortable.
 
I have a couple of the plastic handled ones. I got a stainless one as a gift. (thanks Jonas! aka 2sharp) and I have a carbon one too. I use the stainless as my main kitchen knife. When I take my son camping this summer he will get to carry the carbon model. I want him to learn how to take care of a blade that can rust. Great knives. But if I am going to really abuse a knife I reach for the bk&t.

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Brian
The first knife was probably used to cut stuff.
 
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